1 Samuel 4:2-3, 10-11, 19-21 The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men. After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.” So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; 30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents. The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed. Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth. She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. “Don’t be afraid,” they said. “You have a baby boy” But she did not answer or pay attention to them. She named the child Ichabod (which means “Where is the glory?”), for she said, “Israel’s glory is gone.” She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured… David is on a mission to return the Ark, the symbol of God’s presence, to a central place of worship in the new capital city. But before he does, let’s consider where the Ark has been, why it was missing, and the attitudes of worship our story warns against...  Read More

Psalm 132:1-5 LORD, remember David and all that he suffered. He made a solemn promise to the LORD. He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel, “I will not go home; I will not let myself rest. I will not let my eyes sleep nor close my eyelids in slumber until I find a place to build a house for the LORD, a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.” 2 Samuel 6:1-3 David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. This week, we examine 2 Samuel 6 and what David’s life teaches us about worship. If it seems like the study starts with a simple rearrangement of religious furniture, don’t be fooled. There’s much more to it than that. Worship, at its core, celebrates that the “I Am” of Exodus 3:14—the One who “was and is and is to come” in Revelation 1:4—chooses to draw near and live with us. The creator of all things adopts the name Immanuel, ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23). The first chapter of the book of John describes Jesus’ mission of redemption. He is the Word. He is God. He was in the beginning. He is the Creator. And in verse 14, John says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The literal translation of the Greek is that Jesus “tabernacled” among us. Throughout the Old Testament, God describes Himself and His desire for closeness using various metaphors and symbols. One of the most vivid images appears in the wilderness tabernacle that God commanded to be built at the center of the Israelites’ camp during their exodus from Egypt. God outlined every detail of this structure so that the story of salvation could be revealed. It included symbols representing the cross of Christ, His resurrection, prayer, and forgiveness. In the innermost part of the tabernacle sat a gold-covered acacia wood box called the Ark of the Covenant...  Read More

The following guide is designed to facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things...  Read More

2 Samuel 2:5-7 7 Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king.” David’s second anointing as king of Judah would have contrasted sharply with his first anointing by the prophet Samuel. Back with Samuel, is what a private ceremony, family only, secretive even. The current king, Saul, was not mentally stable and would have seen this act as a direct threat on him and his kingdom; which it was. But now, David’s anointing would have come with all the pomp and circumstance the Jews would have done for Saul back in the days. This was a public, popular, and very political act. In fact, unlike with Samuel, there’s no hint of the religious aspect to this anointing at all. Truth is, however, David was God’s choice whether in public or private. He didn’t have to be publicly recognized to act as God’s chosen, did he?...  Read More

2 Samuel 2:4-6 4 Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah. When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, 5 he sent them this message: “May the Lord bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial. 6 May the Lord be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love And I, too, will reward you for what you have done. Jabesh-gilead wasn’t just the place where they buried Saul, it was in Israel territory, the northern kingdom; otherwise known as the place that David was not yet king over. So sure, you could see this as enemy territory for this newly anointed king of Judah. David offers the people of this town a peace offering in the form of a blessing. He loved Saul, and was thankful for their kindness to Saul and his family. David doesn’t want to be their enemy, he doesn’t want civil war any more. He wants to unite the kingdoms and God’s people, as Samuel foresaw all those years ago...  Read More

2 Samuel 2:4a 4 Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah. As we alluded to yesterday, at this point in the story, it’s been roughly 8 or 9 years since Samuel anointed David as the new king of Israel. Here, we have the men of Judah anointing David king, not of the whole nation of Israel, but of the tribe of Judah, which David was a part of. It certainly was a step in the ultimate fulfillment of the promise, but after all this time and struggle, David was still on the journey to where God wanted Him. I’m sure there were moments, like when he was hiding in a cave, where he may have written these lines from Psalm 22…  Read More